Shopfront Signs
First impressions count and image is everything. Your shop front is doing the work of a full-time salesperson on the pavement, and most people decide whether to come in before they have read a single word of what you sell.
We design, manufacture and install shop front signage for retailers, restaurants, salons, cafes, takeaways, showrooms and independent businesses across the UK. Every stage happens with us: the survey, the visual, the fabrication in our own workshop and the installation. Nothing gets handed to a third party, so if something needs changing halfway through, it is a conversation rather than a chain of suppliers.
Types of Shop Front Sign
Illuminated fascia signs. A printed or vinyl-applied panel lit from within, or an LED-lit box. The most cost-effective way to stay visible after dark and through winter afternoons.
Built-up letters. Individual three-dimensional letters fabricated from acrylic or metal and fixed directly to the fascia or to a backing tray. Available face-lit, halo-lit for a glow behind the letter, or non-illuminated. This is the finish that reads as a considered brand rather than a printed panel.
Flat-cut letters. Letters cut from a single sheet of acrylic, aluminium or stainless steel and mounted flush or on locators. Cleaner and more affordable than built-up work, and well suited to interiors and to modern shopfronts.
Tray signs. A powder-coated aluminium tray that returns around the edges of the fascia. It gives a crisp, finished frame and hides the fixings and any untidy brickwork behind.
Projecting and hanging signs. Mounted at right angles to the building so people walking along the street see you before they are level with the door. Particularly worth it on a busy high street or a narrow parade.
Vinyl lettering and window graphics. Cut vinyl applied directly to glass or panels for opening hours, service lists, contact details and offers. The most flexible option when the message changes regularly.
Traditional and signwritten finishes. Hand-finished and heritage-style lettering for period properties, conservation areas and listed buildings where a modern illuminated fascia would not be approved.
Hoarding and fit-out graphics. Printed hoarding to cover the works while you are fitting out, so the site is still advertising the opening rather than sitting blank.
Design, Manufacture and Installation Under One Roof
We start with a survey, or with your measurements and photographs if you would rather not wait. Our design team then produces a visual laid over a photograph of your actual building, so you are approving something that looks like the finished result rather than a flat drawing.
Manufacture happens in our own workshop on industry-leading machinery. That is what lets us match a specific brand colour, cut a shape that is not on anyone's standard list, or reproduce an existing sign where the original artwork is long gone.
Installation is carried out by our own fitters, who hold CSCS, IPAF and PASMA accreditation for working on site and at height. Where a shopping centre, landlord or managing agent needs to see accreditations and method statements before anyone touches the fascia, we can supply them.
Planning Permission and Advertisement Consent
Most exterior shop front signage in England needs advertisement consent from the local planning authority, and illuminated signage almost always does. If your premises are listed, or sit within a conservation area, listed building consent or additional conditions are likely to apply, and councils in those areas often restrict internal illumination and modern materials.
This catches a lot of businesses out after the sign has been made. We will tell you what is likely to apply to your premises at survey stage, so the design is drawn to something that has a realistic chance of being approved. We can also supply the drawings and specification your application will need.
What Affects the Price of a Shop Front Sign
Four things move the cost more than anything else. Size, obviously, since a wide fascia needs more material and a bigger install. Illumination, because an LED-lit built-up letter is a fabricated assembly rather than a printed panel. Material, where powder-coated aluminium and stainless steel sit well above acrylic and composite panel. And access, since a first-floor fascia on a busy street may need a scaffold tower, a MEWP or a road closure, and that is a separate cost from the sign itself.
We quote all of this itemised rather than as a single figure, so you can see where the money is going and adjust the specification if you need to. If you already have a like-for-like quote, send it over and we will look at it.
Shop Front Sign FAQs
How long does a shop front sign take? Printed and vinyl work is quick. Fabricated illuminated letters take longer because each letter is built individually. Planning consent, where it is needed, is usually the longest part of the timeline and sits with the council rather than with us. We will give you a realistic date with the quote.
Do you make signs for shops outside Berkshire? Yes. We are based in Bracknell but we design, manufacture and install nationwide, and we have delivered projects internationally.
Can you replace just the panel and keep the existing frame? Often, yes. If the existing tray or lightbox is sound, a refaced panel is considerably cheaper than a full replacement. We will assess it at survey and tell you honestly if the frame is not worth keeping.
I only have a logo. Can you design the sign? Yes. Our design team will take your logo or brand guidelines and lay the signage out over photographs of your premises so you can see it in place before committing.
What is the difference between built-up letters and flat-cut letters? Built-up letters have depth, with returns around the sides, and can be illuminated. Flat-cut letters are cut from one sheet and mounted flat, so they are slimmer and cheaper but cannot be lit from within.
Do you maintain and repair existing signage? Yes. Failed LEDs, damaged panels, faded vinyl and storm damage are all things we can look at, including on signage we did not originally supply.
Will my sign need maintenance? Exterior signage is exposed to weather and will benefit from an occasional clean. Illuminated units may eventually need LED replacement. We will tell you the expected service life of the specification you are buying.
Get a Quote for Your Shop Front
Send us photographs of your premises, rough measurements and any artwork or brand guidelines you have. We will come back with a visual and an itemised price. Call 01344 862089 or email info@smartsigns.co.uk
